Gasoline regulator



1,627,458 May 1927 w. H. PRITCHETT GASOLINE REGULATOR ile y 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEKQ May 3, 1927. 1,627,458

w. H. PRJTCHETT GASOLI NE REGULATOR Filed May 17, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ammMimiimimmimmi A TTORNE YES.

Patented May 3, 1927.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM HENRY PBITCHETT, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

GASOLINE REGULATOR.

Application filed Kay 17,

The present invention relates to improvements in gasoline regulators and more particularly refers to an improved air valve and operating structure located between the car-.

bureter and intake manifold of an internal *combustion engine for the purpose of providin a means by which the operator of the "ehic e may, without leaving the drivers seat, or without stopping the vehicle, change or alter at will the character of the gasoline vapor drawn through the carbureter whereby to create smoother running of the motor and to promote an economy of fuel, as well as to avoid the formation of carbon and the tendency to overheat and to secure the maximum power from the engine.

A further advantage of the invention accrues in providing improved braking facilities through the use and operation of this air valve, whereby the fuel line may be entirely cut off from the motor when descending a grade and the combustion chambers of the motor put directly in communication with the outside atmosphere, and result in economizing in the use of the fuel.

A further object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, compact and simple construction for accomplishing the above described purposes.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claim appended hereto. 7

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts through out the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation, with parts shown in section of an improved appliance constructed in accordance with the present invention as applied to the fuel inlet pipe and the instrument board of a motor vehicle.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side view, with parts broken away, of the improved valve construction.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the valve construction.

Fi re 4 is a vertical section taken on the me 44 in Figure 2.

Fi re 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section taken throu h the operating handle on an enlarger? scale, and

igure 7 is a sale view, partly in section,

1838. Serial No. 109,788.

of a sleeve forming an element of the operating mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 8 indicates the carburetor with which the intake manifold '9 of the internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle is ordi-.

narily connected direct and between which my gasoline regulator is interposed; and

10 represents the instrument board of the same vehicle. i a

In accordance with the invention the air valve enclosed in the cas 11 is included in the intake manifold pipe line whereby to admit air to the intake manifold and to cut down the fuel proportionate] or to entirely cut off the supply of this fuel.

The casing 11 is provided with the upper and lower flanges 12 and 13 by which it may be bolted or otherwise secured to complemental flange 14 of the intake manifold pipe line and the up er flange 15 of the carburetor, respective y. The casing is made with an opening 15' therethrough of substantially the diameter of the intake manifold pipe line and also with a lateral opening 16 exposed to'the air, as shown in Figure 5 and preferably covered by the gauze or screen 17 to exclude dust and foreign matter.

Within the casin is mounted the valve body or core 18, suci casing being provided with a central 0 lindrical or conical chamber to receive the similarly ta red valve body 18 through which metric passage 19 of the same diameter as the intake manifold pipe line and adapted to register with the openings in the two 0 posite flanges 14 and 15. The valve y is further provided with a lateral port 20 opening through one side of the valve body and into the passage 19 preferably centrally thereof. The casing is provided with a blanlk6 wall 21 opposite the air inlet openg a.

As shown in Figure 4 the valve body 18 is provided with the trunnions 22 and 23 projecting axially therefrom and being made smooth to receive the confining discs 24 and 25. .Outwardly beyond the smooth portions of the trunnions which receive the discs, such trunnions are threaded as indicated at 26 and 27. The threaded portion 26 of the one trunnion is provided with the lock nuts 28 and 29, while similar lock nuts 30 and 31 are threaded upon the opposite trunnion. is last mention d trunnion 23 is further is' provi ed the dia-.

provided with the corrugated or roughened shank 32 to receive the operating handle 33 as later described. The disc 25 is held stationary with the casing by a key 34 mounted in a notch 35 in the edge of the disc 25 and in a socket 36 of the valve casing, this key being held to the disc by an appropriate fastening, for instance a screw 37 shown in Figures 2 and 4.

The disc 25 further carries the stop screw 38 having its inner end engaging in the circumferential groove 39 of the valve body which groove extends t ough an angle of approximately 90. The handle 33 previously referred to is shown more particularly in Figure 2 as having a roughened or corrugated opening 40 to receive the shank 32. The handle is split as indicated at 41, the split portion extending to the opening 40. A screw 42 is employed to close the split 41 and to bind the handle upon the shank.

The handle is provided at its outer free end with a perforation 43 through which en ages one end of a coil spring 44, shown in igure 1, the other end of such coil spring being secured to a fixed part.

Inwardly of the free end the handle is further provided with a perforation 45 to receive a pin 46 by which the bifurcated end of an operating link is secured to the ban dle. This operating link is shown in Figure 1 as comprising the two rods '47 and 48 threaded at their inner ends into a turn buckle 49 and having the lock nuts 50 and 51 for securing the parts fixedly after adjustment.

The link just describedis secured to a rod 52 preferably pivotally as indicated at 53,

the rod 52 being threaded at its rearward end, and the threads being engaged by the interiorly threaded socket 54 on an operating knob or handle 55 shown in Figures 1 and 6. The operating knob is provided with a rforation 56 in its head to admit air free y to the interior threaded socket. The rod 52 extends slidably through a guide sleeve 57 having a longitudinal slot 58 to receive a projection or screw 7 52 for the purpose of holding the rod against rotation. The guide sleeve 57 15 secured to the instrument board 10 of the veas for instance by the use of bolts 60 passing through a flange or head 61 extending from one end of the sleeve and against the drivers side of said instrument board.

In the operation of the invention, the engine is started in the usual manner and permitted to run for a time until well warmed up. Using the hand throttle only, the motoris then speeded'up to the drivers customary speed, for instance 25 miles per hour. With the engine left running at is s eed, the operating knob 55 is turned t us ra wing the rod 52 and the link toward themintake manifo d.

59 on the rod strument board and rotating the handle 33 in a counter clockwise direction as viewed in Figures 1 and 2.

The valve body is correspondingly rotated and when this rotation has proceeded a very short distance the upper end of the diametric passage 19 will begin to register with' the air inlet opening 16 thus admitting air through this 0 ning and upwardly into the As soon as air begins to pass in through this opening, the car will begin to gain speed, thus showing that the gasoline vapor furnished by the carbureter alone is too rich in gasoline for the economical functioning of the motor and the delivery of maximum power by the motor. The driver should continue to turn the operating knob 55 to the right until the motor begins to sputter. The operating knob is thereupon turned slightly to the left, whereupon the motor will be found to run smoothly and function properly.

The motor will now be moving considerably faster than 25 miles per hour and will be consuming considerably less gasoline per mile than it was using at 25 miles per hour before the improved gasoline regulator was put into operation. It will be noted that as the improved regulator admits additional air, it will at the same time out down the amount of the mixture received from the carburetor and for this reason minute adjustment of the air valve will produce marked results in .the o ration of the motor. The micrometer a justment secured by the use of the screw threads is thus taken advantage of in connection with the par: ticular type of regulating valve employed.

It will be noted that the improved regulator is entirely independent in function from the carbureter and furthermore that the improved regulator enables the use of the motor for breaking purposes while conserving the fuel su ply.

As the vehic e begins to descend a grade, the driver may simply grasp the knob 55 and pull outwardly without requiring any rotary adjustment. This is permitted as the rod 52 freely slides in the sleeve 57 and this action is particularly desirable upon short hills. By pulling out the knob as for as permitted, the valve body will be rotated through thus cutting off entirely the fuel sup ly from the earbureter to the motor and p acing the air inlet port 16 fully in communication with the manifold by way of the port 20. The intake manifold and cylinders of the motor are immediately filled with air to avoid. fbrmation of a partial vacuum and the car will descend the grade in high gear with very little if any, necessity for use of the foot brake. If the grade is a long one the operator may secure the operating knob so as to pull the air valve to the position just noted, but as before stated this same result may be secured by simply pulling the knob toward the driver.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claim.

What is claimed is A fuel regulator for intake pipes of internal combustion engines, comprising a valve casing in the intake pipe,having a through port and a lateral port opening into the through port, a core mounted to turn in the casing and having corresponding through and lateral ports, means for turning the core to adjust the ports thereof relatively to the ports of the casing, a disk on one end of the core overlapping the adjacent end of the casing to close the casing and retain the core therein, said end of the core having a curved slot therein facin the outer portion of the disk and covered t ereby, a stop screw mounted in the disk and projecting into the slot to limit the turning of the core, said casing and disk having registering sockets at the periphery of the disk, and a key secured to the disk and en- I gaging in said sockets to hold the disk from turning relatively to the casing.

WILLIAM HENRY PRITCHETT. 

